Vampires
Deathwalkers, Undead, Creatures of the Night, Bloodsuckers, Carpathian leeches, Vampyre, Living Dead, Death, Homines nocturnae | Identity = Secret | Alignment = Bad | Affiliation = Independent | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = Various | BodyType = Humanoid | AvgHeight = Same as humans | AvgWeight = Same as humans | Eyes = Red | Hair = Variable | Skin = Variable | NumberOfLimbs = 4 | NumberOfFingers = 5 | NumberOfToes = 5 | SpecialAdaptations = Vampires cannot live in the sunlight | UnusualFeatures = Vampires are a form of mystically-resurrected humans, therefore their general appearance is as varied as the human race. | Origin = Atlantean magical creations | GalaxyOfOrigin = Milky Way | StarSystemOfOrigin = Sol | HomePlanet = Earth | PlaceOfBirth = | Creators = | First = All Winners Comics #5 | HistoryText = Origin The race of vampires first appeared in the pre-cataclysmic era (before the sinking Atlantis and Lemuria), circa 18,500 B.C., when the Atlantean cult of Darkholders used the power of the Chthon Scrolls in order to oppose King Kull, who had slain their leader, Thulsa Doom. The result was Varnae, one of their own raised as the world's first vampire. Varnae quickly slew the other Darkholders and used them to found the vampire race, with himself as Vampire Lord. Other races of vampires -- the Adze, Ancients, Charniputra, Huskies, Jumlin, Nosferati, Purebloods, Tryks, and Yiki Onna -- either diverged from this original Varnaean line, or else arose out of other circumstances. Hyborian Age When Atlantis sank 500 years later after his creation, Varnae went into hibernation, emerging from time to time to confront threats such as in 10,000 B.C. when he battled against Conan, Red Sonja and Zula but they were able to fend them off. 2000, B.C. In 2000, B.C., in the region known as Sumeria; Varnae forced a mystic named Aamshed to create a ritual which would make the vampire lord into a god. However he could not complete the ritual as it must be done on his home land and Atlantis had sunk beneath the ocean. Biblical Times Varnae revealed he witnessed Jesus Christ during the time he was alive. 1000, A.D. During the age of vikings; Varnae traveled to the new world and attacked a norse colony in North America turning the settlers into Vampires. A young girl escaped and prayed to the gods for help and Thor answered the call and battled the hordes of Vampires and eventually facing the first vampire himself. He was able to drive off Varnae and destroyed the vampire settlers by directing sunlight at them leaving only the young girl alive. 1459, A.D. In 1459, tired of his ages-long existence, Varnae chose Dracula as his successor as lord of Earth's vampires, and imparted much of his supernatural power to him by forcing Dracula to drink his blood. Varnae then committed suicide by exposing himself to direct sunlight. 1591, A.D. In 1591, the young girl arrived at the English colony of Roanoke which will one day be part of Virginia. She was revealed to be a vampire and turned all the 121 settlers into vampires leaving only one message carved into a tree "Croatoan". Modern Era Dracula retained this title in a nearly unbroken reign until Earth's Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Stephen Strange, uncovered a mystical spell called the Montesi Formula that would banish all vampires from this dimension. Ironically, this spell was found within the Darkhold, the same mystical text containing the spell used to create vampires in the first place. Like most spells, the Montesi Formula contained a counter-spell, and within a few short years, vampires began to appear across the world once again. Dracula himself rose from the grave and reclaimed his title as Lord of the Vampires. Destruction The only known substances which could cause a vampire pain were silver and, to a lesser extent, unless it penetrated the vampire's heart, wood. The surest way to kill a vampire was to drive a wooden stake or a silver blade through his or her heart. The stake or blade prevented the heart from supplying ichor to the rest of the body. If the stake or blade was removed, however, even if the vampire's body had crumbled to dust, the vampire's mystical vitality would restore his or her body to the condition it had before the vampire was slain, and return him or her to vampiric "life." Beheading a vampire would also kill him or her. However, there were only three methods of making sure of destroying a vampire permanently. One was to expose the vampire to direct sunlight and then to scatter the ashes. Another was to pierce the vampire's heart with wood or silver, sever his or her head, burn the head and body in separate places and scatter the two resulting piles of ash in separate locations. The third was mystically, most notably by using the incantation known as the Montesi Formula (after the monk who first realized its significance). Montesi created the incantation by studying fragmentary copies of the Darkhold. It was lost amid many other documents copied by various anonymous monks over the centuries. Research by various vampire hunters over the past few decades revealed its significance, and it was sought by both those hunters and by Dracula, who wished to destroy all copies of it. The incantation apparently canceled the mystic curse that allowed any vampire within earshot to exist, causing it to crumple to dust. The danger is that, as the Montesi Formula was created from black magic theory from the Darkhold, using it untrained (in the mystic arts) causes the user to lose his soul. At one point, a cult who worshiped the elder demon gods apparently fixated on Dracula as a recipient of their power. Dracula gave them the fragments of the Darkhold he had discovered; the cultists (who were low level mystics) repeatedly recast the original spells that created the first vampires. This increased Draculas powers considerably, and he lost his vulnerably to sunlight and others. Dracula was able to take full control of their minds (as well as anyone around the world that Dracula had ever hypnotized in the past, at will). Doctor Strange (who at the time was in a great battle with Dracula) was aware of the Montesi Formula. He tracked down the Darkhold and using the original source material to study the spells that created vampires, Doctor Strange created a massive version of the Montesi Formula (backed by his power as Sorcerer Supreme) to wipe out all of the vampires in the Marvel Universe until they were restored by the Vampiric Verses. Known Vampires See Known Vampires. Classifications Vampire Sects The Vampire Sects are diverse as human religions and Vampires from different sects might have different characteristics of abilities: * Kreiger Sect: Western European type warriors, one of the strongest sects. * Claw Sect: Middle Eastern type warriors, rivals of the Krieger. * Mystikos Sect: American Vampires embraced the modem world. They are Businessmen, with skill at technology. * Anchorite Sect: American rural outcasts who prefer to hide from humanity and live in peace, similar to the lifestyle of the Amish. * Purebloods: Born as Vampires. * Nosferati: Eastern European, similar to Count Orlock, their need for powerful blood sometimes drives them to attack other Vampires. * Moksha Sect: Seers who gain their powers by feeding as little as possible. * Siren Sect: All beautiful female Vampires with powers of seduction. * Adze: African Vampires who are able to survive the usually instantaneous methods of Vampire destruction for ten minutes. * Ancients: Italian Vampires with superior superhuman speed and healing factor compared to that of other Vampires. * Yiki Onna: Japanese Vampires with the power to turn into ice storms rather than fog as most Vampires can. * Jumlin: Native American Vampires. Sub-Species * Huskie: Vampires who are brought back brain dead and are basically human husks. They only follow their base instinct and feed on small animals. They will not rest until they have completed a task from their human life. * Charniputra: Gargoyle like Vampires that reside in the Himalayas * Aqueos: Atlantean (Homo mermanus) converted Vampires * Tryks: A powerful, parasitic race that prefers the blood of other Vampires. Pseudo Vampires Baalists The followers of Ba'al exhibited many of the same properties as traditional vampires, but were not in fact true vampires. They wore false fangs and were not inhibited by ultraviolet radiation, but they did partake in the consumption of human blood. Ba'al bestowed power to his underlings, making them stronger, faster and more durable, but they did not possess characteristics that could be defined as superhuman. The Baalist vampires originate from the region known as Gehenna and have followed the edicts of Ba'al since about 13,000 BCE. Level Classification Class-2 Vampires Morg was stated to be a "standard Class-2 Vampire", without clear explanation of the classification. Also see the list of confirmed Class-2 Vampires. | Habitat = | Gravity = Same as Earth | Atmosphere = Same as Earth | Population = | Powers = | Abilities = A vampire is a human being who has died but has been resurrected by specific supernatural means and possesses a variety of supernatural abilities and specific limitations, most notably to frequently ingest fresh blood in order to maintain their own existence. Vampires have often been referred to as "undead" throughout the centuries since, even when active, they were not truly alive in the same sense as ordinary human beings. Technically, they can be classified as actually being dead. Sustenance Vampires require the fresh blood of living beings, preferably the blood of humans, in order to sustain their physical existence and, usually, obtained it by biting their victims and draining their blood. The bite of a vampire transferred a very mysterious enzyme found only within the saliva of a vampire into the bloodstream of the victim. If the vampire drank enough blood to cause the death of the victim, this enzyme would trigger an unusual metabolic change within the victim's body, beginning with the production of an unusual green liquid referred to as ichor into the bloodstream. After roughly three days, there would be enough of this liquid in the victims body that it would begin to course through the victims veins in the same way their blood once did. The victim then returned as a vampire and was capable of all the basic capabilities of ordinary humans, with the exception of being able to have children, plus a number of superhuman abilities. However, if the victim retained sufficient blood to survive the vampire's attack, he or she would begin to show signs of anemia because of the presence of the enzyme in his or her bloodstream. The victim would not die under such circumstances. Until a newly created vampire's body metabolized the enzyme, a process that might take as long as several months in some cases, he or she would be extremely weak and highly susceptible to hypnotic suggestions, verbally or through long range mental contact, by the vampire responsible for the attack. There was also a distinct possibility of the newly-turned vampire developing a perverse sexual attraction for the vampire responsible for the transformation. Note that a new vampire is not created unless the attacking vampire wishes to do so, or loses control and injects too much enzyme. Willpower The overall extent of a vampire's abilities depended upon the strength of the vampire's will. Exceptional vampires with powerful wills, such as Dracula or Varnae, were capable of summoning and controlling thunderstorms, even though the mystical concentration required to do so left them extremely weak for a certain period of time. The vampire's willpower could also determine the extent to which he or she could master their craving for blood and retain the same personality they had in life. However, most people that became vampires quickly found themselves unable to resist the all consuming craving for blood. They quickly degenerated into cruel and animalistic hunters of ordinary human beings, even if these new vampires had been kind and sensitive people in their mortal lives. Summoning and Shape-shifting Vampires could summon and control certain creatures such as bats, wolves, and rats. Vampires could also transform themselves into bats, and in the case of some vampires, wolves, while retaining their human intelligence in these forms. Some vampires could even become human-sized bats. Vampires could also transform themselves into mist at will, while still retaining their normal consciousnesses in that form. Mind control A vampire could make most human beings into his or her temporary slave if he or she could catch their gaze for a sufficient amount of time, usually only a matter of seconds. The exact length of time needed to mesmerize the victim depended on the strength of will of the vampire and that of his or her victim. Health Vampires were rendered immune to the ravages of disease and of aging. However, if deprived of blood for a lengthy period of time, a vampire would begin to show distinct signs of aging, such as his or her hair turning gray. Upon ingesting fresh blood, the vampire would revert to the age in which he or she had been at the time of death. In most cases, vampires were able to heal themselves from minor injuries within a very brief period of time. Some vampires, such as Count Dracula, could heal from severe burns or broken bones within the span of a few hours, where as most other vampires might require several days to heal the exact same injury. Vampires were not able to regenerate missing organs or severed portions of their anatomy, with the exception of hair. Apart from periodic inconveniences, injuries like these would not critically impair a vampire's effectiveness. Because the ichor was similar in function to blood, poisons and other toxic substances that were circulated in its bloodstream would adversely affect a vampire, although no dosage was large enough to cause death. | AvgStrength = Most vampires possessed superhuman physical strength anywhere from 10 to 20 times greater than they possessed in their mortal lives. The vast majority of known and recorded vampires were capable of lifting from 1,000 lbs to 4,000 lbs, with only Count Dracula and his predecessor Varnae being known to lift more at 4 and 7 tons respectively due to their special stance as ruler of Earth's vampire race. | Weaknesses = Vampires had many limitations imposed upon their supernatural abilities, and even upon their very existence. Below are a listing of weaknesses common to supernatural vampires. Blood Consumption Vampires are regularly required to consume a few pints (litres) of blood every other night. Failing to do so would cause the vampire to weaken and after an extended period without blood seemingly perish. A vampire's ability to metabolize blood and their frequency of feeding usually varies however depending on a number of factors: Length of time between feedings, damage or injury to the body, resurrection from a near death state, and excessive use of their supernatural abilities and strength. Native Soil Typically, vampires cannot travel more than 100 miles (160 km) from their land of birth, unless their bring at least one pound (500 g) of their native soil wherever they choose to sleep during the day. For example, Dracula would typically have coffins with dirt from his native Transylvania shipped to his various hideouts all over Europe and the United States so that he would have a place to rest unharmed from the sun. However, in many instances vampires (including Dracula) have been depicted being able to travel to far off places and sleep in locations that do not have their native lands earth on hand. What happens to a vampire who does not do this remains unknown, but given the instances that a vampire has slept without being around soil from their native land suggests that this is not a lethal weakness. Sunlight A vampire's greatest weakness is sunlight, due to their altered metabolism, vampires were unable to withstand direct sunlight. Sunlight, somehow caused the ichor to congeal within the vampire's veins and the skin to rapidly decay. Direct exposure to sunlight caused the vampire to dehydrate completely and turn to powder, or even explode in certain cases. Some vampires, such as Dracula have been able to reform their bodies following being turned to powder from the sun, while others have been completely obliterated from contact with the sun. The conditions in which a vampire can come back from the dead may be particular to one who is rightfully the lord of all vampires. Religious Symbols Vampires also had an aversion to any religious symbol (such as a crucifix/cross (including objects assembled into a cross, like wood branches), Star of David, or holy water) wielded or placed by anyone who believes in the religious significance of the symbol (for example a cross held by a hebrew had no effect). The size of the symbol was not a consideration on its ability to repel vampires, only the strength of belief: for example, a believing Christian wielding a small cross could hold a vampire at bay with it and even sear the vampire's flesh simply by touching him or her with it. However, the deity must be one that was believed in at the time of the vampire's original death; a cross had no effect on Varnae, for example, since he died approximately 16,000 years before the crucifixion. Another consideration is if the vampire in question worshiped the faith whose religious symbol is being used against them. For example, when David Eshocl used the Star of David against Dracula, Dracula was weakened by its sight, but stated that because he followed Christianity and not Judaism before becoming a vampire, the Star had a lesser effect on him. On another occasion, he was hurt by a silver Star of David (it is unknown if it was the silver or the star who impacted him). On Earth-1610, a cross wield by Blade against a Jewish Vampire was completely ineffective. Further, there may be an element of belief by proxy or a vampires own belief that a symbol may harm them, as there have been instances where a crucifix has been used by someone who is not holding the item. For example, Quincy Harker and Elainne Turac have both utilized weapons that would project the symbol of the cross against Dracula while not actually holding the religious symbol. Further, Quincy's faithful dog Saint, has a collar lined with silver crosses that were able to harm Dracula. It's highly improbably that Saint understands the symbolism let alone having faith in Christianity, however either Quincy's faith, or Dracula's belief that the crosses could harm him caused the vampire lord pain. Lastly, a religious symbol can lose its power over a vampire if the vampire is capable of making the believer's faith falter. In such situations, the strength of the religious symbol's ability to repel a vampire would weaken. Invitations Only Vampires also had a mystical aversion to entering any human dwelling place to which they were not verbally invited. Once invited, they could enter the place at any time thereafter. This appears to only be the case with personal dwellings, as vampires have been seen entering public buildings without the need of being invited inside. Impaling the Heart Another weakness of vampires is to impale them through the heart, causing them to eventually decompose into a skeleton. Originally, it was thought that a wooden stake would be the only means of doing so; however, advancement in vampire hunting techniques have indicated that any object that can break through a vampire's chest and pierce the heart is sufficient in killing a vampire. For example, Blade learned that wooden daggers would prove to be just as effective, while Frank Drake and Rachel van Helsing have used wooden bullets, Quincy Harker even defeated Dracula once by driving one of the spokes of his own wheelchair into Dracula's heart. However, this does not necessarily destroy a vampire, as their remains can be reanimated if the stake (or other object) is removed. Garlic The scent of garlic can sap the strength of a vampire. It has been used as a rope to bind vampires, sapping their strength sufficiently to prevent them from breaking the bonds. Garlic is not lethal to vampires, but it can make them more vulnerable to other means of attack. Magic Magic wielders such as Doctor Strange and Topaz have been able to harm vampires with magic, and some spells have the effect to kill a vampire. The most lethal spell is the Montesi Formula is a spell from the Book of Darkhold which can destroy all vampires. Doctor Strange invoked the spell which destroyed all vampires on Earth (save Hannibal King, who he and his allies were able to restore to human life), but when the spell was broken all the vampires that were destroyed were restored to life. Radioactive Blood Radioactive blood has proved harmful to Vampires that consume it. Also, individuals with it that have been bitten have reverted back to normal once the radiation kills the enzymes responsible for their transformation. On Earth-12041, in the case of gamma radiation, the individual returns to normal when the blood cells super heat, burning the Vampire cells like micro suns. A sanitized sample of Hulk's blood was used to cure the Black Widow when she was on the early states of the transformation. Every cell of a Majesdanian can absorb solar radiation. If a vampire drinks the blood of a fully-powered Majesdanian, this is the equivalent of consuming liquid sunlight, turning the vampire to ash. It is unknown what would happen if a Majesdanian were to be fed upon after completely draining their solar reserves at night. Other Limitations Vampires cast no reflections, and their images could not be captured on film. Alternate Realities Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610) On Earth-1610, the Vampires are allegedly people infected with Porphyria, a virus causing a disorder of the hemoglobin. Although, they have powers like other universes Vampires, and are sensible to the same weaknesses. Blade Movie Universe (Earth-26320) In the Blade movie universe, vampires (Homines nocturnae) are a sub-offshoot of humanity with their progenitor being the entity Dracula (Drake, Dagon), a Sumerian who was worshiped as a god. His progeny are the Pure-Bloods, while those who are bitten by Dracula or his descendants are byproducts of vampirism. Vampirism is a virus that can be transmitted through the saliva of the vampire through incisions in the neck made by their fangs when feeding. Once infected it takes approximately 72 hours for the virus to mutate , transforming them into a Vampire. A Vampire feeds on the blood of humans in order to replenish their hemoglobin, which is not produced in their body. Vampires can eat human food, but it has little to no nutritional value. Along with "The Thirst", vampirism also endows someone with an improved metabolism and biological functions that grant it a much increased longevity, superhuman physical and mental capabilities, and the ability to recover from injury in a relatively short amount of time, all of which are directly granted via new specialized organs. The vampires have their own language, which all can speak. Though most vampires shown in the films and series are bilingual, able to speak both the English and vampire languages, some are only capable of speaking the vampire language. Vampires are also much stronger and faster than humans, displaying impressive strength to jump and leap great distances and deliver blows and strikes that can knock a full grown man across a room and moving fast enough to side-step bullets. Their pounces and throws can make concrete crack. They possess impressive physical resilience, shrugging off injuries that would kill a normal human, with the wound only slowing them down. Injuries they receive recover quickly, taking less time than it would for humans or even regenerating lost body parts, a process which is sped up by the consumption of blood. Vampires can perform amazing feats of superhuman agility. Vampire senses are also heightened to a very levels. Vampires can perceive things in the ultraviolet spectrum. Depending on what Tribe they come from, Vampires will possess specific strengths and drawbacks, in addition to their inherent abilities. These vampires, especially the Reapers, have also been shown to be able to scale almost any surface, in the same manner as spiders. | GovernmentType = | TechnologyLevel = | CulturalTraits = | Representatives = Count Dracula, Baron Blood, Lilith, Varnae, Hannibal King, see Known Vampires | Notes = * Only true vampires possessed the listed vulnerabilities, since their supernatural nature originated within the pages of the Darkhold. Individuals such as the vigilante Michael Morbius, often referred to as "The Living Vampire", and the undead mercenary known as Bloodscream were immune to them since they're referred to as pseudo-vampires. They possess many vampiric qualities, including appearance and many similar superhuman abilities, but have none of the special vulnerabilities because the origins of these abilities had nothing to do with the magic found within the Darkhold. * The vampires in the Blade movie series, and TV Series, are very different from the vampires in traditional Marvel Universe, considering they are based on semi-scientific premises, based around a virus, and how this virus has mutated the infected into another species of humanoid. The progenitor of the vampire race is Drake, AKA Dracula, as stated in Blade: Trinity. Most of his descendants can be grouped into two classes; the "purebloods", those who were born a vampire, and the "turned", who began life as human, but were later turned by infection from a vampire's bite. Also depicted was a rare anomaly where a vampire became a ghoulish being without any regenerative capability, and a mutated albino off-shoot race known as the reapers. | Trivia = Doctor Nemesis stated that he could cure Vampirism with ten years and a billion dollars in funds. | Links = Recommended Reading *Blade (Volume 1) *Blade (Volume 2) *Blade (Volume 3) *Blade: Vampire Hunter (Volume 1) *Dracula Lives *Haunt of Horror *Morbius: The Living Vampire *Nightstalkers *Tomb of Dracula (Volume 1) *Tomb of Dracula (Volume 2) *Tomb of Dracula (Volume 3) *Tomb of Dracula (Volume 4) *Vampire Tales External Links * Vampire article at Wikipedia }} hu:Vámpír Karakterek Category:Icon Weakness Category:Garlic Weakness Category:Earth-26320 Category:Hyperosmia Category:Solar Weakness Category:Hyperacusia Category:Undead Races Category:Gaseous Form Category:Race created by Magic Category:Hyborian Races